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Book Review of King Henry VII: A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of British Royalty)

King Henry VII: A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of British Royalty)
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Helpful Score: 1


Henry VII was the last English king to earn his crown on the battlefield. He did it at the Battle of Bosworth Field when he defeated and killed King Richard III. Recently, I read about Henry IV and Henry V; they were constantly scraping together funds for their treasury. Henry VII worked hard for his nation and searched for new sources of revenue for the country. Henry also modernized the government and legal system during his 23-year reign.

Hourly History gives a clear explanation of the War of the Roses and the major combatants. This was a battle between the Lancasters and Yorks, two houses that were part of the Plantagenets (the ruling class of England at the time). It also told the story of Henry VII's son, Arthur, and his bride, Catherine of Aragon. I'd wondered why Henry VIII would later claim that he shouldn't have married his dead brother's wife, and this book tells the reasons for the initial marriage and the reason that Henry VIII married his dead brother's widow (to keep her dowery and maintain the alliance with the Spanish {if a war with France came about}).

This might have been only 40 pages but they were filled with clear explanations of complex problems and controversies. Understanding what happened with Henry VII is important to understanding Henry VIII.